ST. LOUIS –– The first time visit to a shooting range left a woman legally deaf, a federal lawsuit claims.
Marie Hanrahan-Fox and William Fox filed a complaint on Aug. 24 in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri against Top Gun Sportsman's Club in Arnold.
According to the complaint, the couple visited the shooting range in June to purchase a handgun. Hanrahan-Fox wanted to try out a pistol in the shooting range and staff gave her a pair of earmuffs, the complaint states. However, the couple says, Hanrahan-Fox did not believe the earmuffs to be clean, so she purchased a pair of earplugs recommended by the employees.
After 15 minutes in the shooting range, Hanrahan-Fox suffered severe ear pain. At a doctor's visit, Hanrahan-Fox suffered permanent hearing loss and is now legally deaf, the complaint states.
"Just as it would be unreasonable to operate a shooting range without rules governing the use of firearms within the facility ... it is patently unreasonable to allow guns to be fired on the range without proper hearing protection being worn," the complaint states.
Marie Hanrahan-Fox seeks unspecified damages. Her husband is asking for more than $50,000 for loss of normalcy in his life due to his wife's hearing loss. The couple is also seeking attorney and legal fees.